Disclosed in JPH11-178266A is a motor, which is configured so that a connector opening portion is formed at a motor frame accommodating a stator and an external connector for guiding an external power wire (i.e. a wire for supplying an electric power from an external source to the motor) is provide at the connector opening portion. According to the motor disclosed in JPH11-178266A, a terminal block is provided at the stator. Furthermore, an internal connector, which accommodates a terminal connected to a stator wire, is formed at the terminal block. The external connector and the internal connector are engaged within the motor frame, so that an electric power generated by the external source is supplied to the stator wire.
According to the motor disclosed in JPH11-178266A, the stator wire is connected to the external power wire by engaging the external connector and the internal connector. As a result, an excessive load is expected to be avoided from being applied to each component of the motor. Additionally, disclosed in JP2002-186217A is a motor, which is configured so that a terminal block having a circuit for supplying an electric power to a stator wire is arranged adjacent to an end portion of a stator in an axial direction of the motor and has an opening portion whose diameter is larger than a diameter of a rotor core at an axial center portion of the terminal block. Furthermore, the motor disclosed in JP2002-186217A is configured so that a rotor is assembled to a motor frame even after a stator, the terminal block and the like are assembled to the motor frame.
According to the motor disclosed in JPH11-178266A, the motor frame is configured with plural pieces. Therefore, in a case where mating surfaces of the pieces correspond to a portion of the motor frame at which the external connector is attached, the connector opening portion may not be formed at the motor frame. In other words, the mated surfaces of the motor frame may be unintentionally opened (disengaged) because of the attachment of the external connector to the motor frame. Generally, a position of mating surfaces is subjected to restrictions because of a structure of a forming die and the like when manufacturing the motor frame. Hence, the above-mentioned drawback may not be avoided.
On the other hand, the motor disclosed in JP2002-186217A may not ensure a sufficient conductor area at the circuit, which supplies the electric power and which is formed at the terminal block, because a size of the terminal block is limited due to the opening portion formed at the axial center portion of the terminal block. Therefore, the motor disclosed in JP2002-186217A may not be adapted to a motor using a high electric current.
A need thus exists to provide a wire connection structure and a wire connection method for an electric motor which are not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.